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Father and Child Well-Being

This brief was developed by Elizabeth Karberg, PhD and Jane Finocharo at Child Trends and Nigel Vann at Fathers Incorporated on behalf of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse under contract to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office

of Family Assistance.

Suggested citation:

Karberg, E., Finocharo, J., & Vann, N. (2019). Father and child well-being: A scan of current research. National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. https://fatherhood.gov

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Family Assistance, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services.

https://www.fatherhood.gov/

table of contents

Introduction 04

Characteristics of U.S. Fathers 06

Fatherhood and Children’s Well-Being 12

Fatherhood and Men’s Well-Being 14

Limitations in the Research 16

The Role of Research in Fatherhood Programs 17

Helpful Resources 18

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research 4 Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research 4

01. introduction Besides their role as financial providers, fathers today are also recognized for their roles as caregivers, playmates, and nurturers.

This is demonstrated by the growing research on the link between fathers’ involvement and children’s well-being, as well as the shifting focus and rigorous evaluation of programming designed to improve broad outcomes for fathers and their families.

This research scan provides information on recent data with a focus on what fatherhood looks like today. For more information on past research, see the Helpful Resources section at the end of the document.

This update provides key statistics on characteristics of U.S. fathers; the links between father involvement and children’s well-being; and the ties between fatherhood and men’s well-being. We also identify limitations and gaps in the research.

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research

KEY Takeaways INCLUDE:

Father and Child Well-BeingA Scan of Current Research 55

Most fathers who have minor children live with them.

Most fathers who live with their minor children are married.

A growing percentage of single custodial parents are fathers.

Positive father involvement is linked to children’s social and behavioral well-being. For example, children are more likely to graduate from high school when they have involved fathers.

Father absence is associated with widespread negative outcomes for children at all stages of development.

Fatherhood benefits fathers in many ways, including having a positive influence on their employment outcomes, mental health, and general health and well-being.

02. Characteristics of U.S. Fathers

Fathers play an important role in their children’s well-being and development, and fathers’ characteristics* can shape their relationships with their children.

Documenting characteristics such as whether fathers live with their children, their marital status, and whether they have biological children with multiple partners can help practitioners, fathers, and researchers better understand the role they play in their children’s lives.

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research6

75M U.S. FATHERS

Estimated number of fathers in the United States.1

59% of men over age 15 have fathered at least one child.2

Majority of Fathers have Adult Children

46% 54%

have at least one minor child

have only adult children3

* The authors acknowledge that characteristics beyond those reported here are important to document, but the availability of national data that can address other characteristics is limited.

Fathers in the United States tend to have more than one child.

In 2014, 24 percent of fathers had one child, 39 percent had two children, and 37 percent had three or more children.4

TWO CHILDRENONE

CHILD

THREE OR MORE CHILDREN

Most fathers who have children under age 18 live with their children.

16%

74%

10% FATHERS WHO LIVE WITH ALL OF THEIR MINOR CHILDREN AT LEAST SOME OF THE TIME5

FATHERS WHO LIVE WITHOUT ANY OF THEIR MINOR CHILDREN6

FATHERS WHO HAVE A MIX OF RESIDENT AND NON-RESIDENT MINOR CHILDREN

Likelihood of living with minor children.

ҋ A father’s age, education, race, and ethnicity are linked with his likelihood of living with his minor children.7

ҋ The older a father is when his first child is born, the more likely he is to live with all of his minor children.

ҋ The more education a father has, the more likely he is to live with all of his minor children.


Percentage of fathers who live with their minor children by education

their children

8


Most fathers who live with a minor child are married. 69% More than two thirds of minor children live with two parents.9

6%ARE SINGLE

8%ARE COHABITING

86%ARE MARRIED

U.S. fathers who are living with a minor child10

Comparison of U.S. fathers who reported living with all of

WHITE FATHERS

FOREIGN-BORN HISPANIC FATHERS

NATIVE-BORN HISPANIC FATHERS

BLACK FATHERS 11

A growing percentage of single custodial parents are fathers.12

17% About 17 percent of all single custodial parents are fathers, which translates to roughly 3 percent of all fathers.13


of single custodial fathers are raisingthree or more minor children.14

Among single custodial fathers

16% 6% SEPARATED WIDOWED15

38% 40% NEVER MARRIED DIVORCED

Single custodial fathers may be economically disadvantaged.*

61%single custodial fathers have a family income of less than $50,000 per year16

17%single custodial fathers live below the poverty line17

Resident Fathers ҋ Because resident fathers have constant access to their children, they tend to have high levels of involvement with them.18

ҋ There is evidence that cohabiting fathers are more involved with their children than married fathers.19, 20, 21

Non-Resident Fathers ҋ Non-resident fathers are also involved in their children’s lives, although they are less involved than resident fathers because they do not have constant access.

ҋ However, since 1976, an increasing number of non-resident fathers have had weekly contact with their children, and a declining percentage have had no contact with their children.22

Resident vs. non-resident father involvement with their children

80

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

NON-RESIDENT FATHERS RESIDENT FATHERS

70

23

EAT A MEAL WITH THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN (BIRTH TO AGE 5) DAILY

BATHE, DIAPER, OR DRESS THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN (BIRTH TO AGE 5) DAILY

TALK WITH THEIR OLDER CHILDREN DAILY ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED DURING THEIR DAY

* Note that nearly twice as many single custodial mothers are economically disadvantaged; 31 percent live below the poverty line, compared to 17 percent of single custodial fathers. Grall, T. (2016).

Father and Child Well-Being 10

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research1010 AA Scan oScan off CCurrurrenent Rt Researesearchch

Fathers who have children with more than one partner.

Fathers who have children with more than one partner are more likely to have a child as a teenager and be unmarried when their first child is born, compared to fathers who have a child with only one partner.24

Black fathers are more likely than white or Hispanic fathers to have children with multiple partners.25

Fathers with lower educational attainment are more likely than those with a college degree to have children with multiple partners.26

Fathers who have children with more than one partner tend to spend less time and money with their previous biological children (possibly because they do not live with them anymore).27,28

More than 1 in 7 fathers have children with multiple partners29

Nearly 1 in 5 fathers who have two or more biological children have children with more than one partner30

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research 11 Father and Child Well-BeingA Scan of Current Research 11

03. fatherhood and children’s well-being

WHAT FATHERHOOD MEANS FOR CHILDREN’S WELL-BEING Fathers’ involvement and positive interactions with their children are important for their children’s health, self-esteem, social skills, and educational attainment. Multiple studies have found positive links between father involvement and their children’s graduation from high school, social-emotional adjustment during childhood, and mental health in adulthood.31 Conversely, children who do not live with their fathers are more likely to experience a variety of negative outcomes.

BETTER SOCIAL SKILLS

High-quality interactions between fathers and children are particularly important for children’s socio-emotional and behavioral development. When fathers have high-quality interactions with their children in toddlerhood, those children have better social skills in third grade.32

CLOSER FAMILY TIES

When fathers are involved in core family leisure activities (e.g., eating dinner as a family, playing sports or participating in hobbies together, playing board games or video games), families tend to experience more closeness, more easily adapt to change, and are more likely to report that their family members are supportive compared to when fathers are less involved in these activities.33

FEWER RISKY BEHAVIORS

Teenagers who report more emotional closeness with their fathers are less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol than teenagers who report less emotional closeness with their fathers.34

FEWER DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS

Teenagers who have more involved non-resident fathers are less likely to engage in delinquent behavior (e.g., stealing, cheating in school, using drugs or alcohol) than those who have less involved non-resident fathers.35


When children are raised in father-absent homes compared to two-parent homes, they are more likely, on average, to abuse drugs and alcohol, show signs of antisocial and delinquent behavior (including illegal behavior), and drop out of high school.37,38

These children are also more likely to have or experience the following:

One study, which looked across 34 studies, found that compared with mothers, fathers better prepare their children for life (e.g., by focusing on school readiness or building social skills), have a more accurate assessment of their children’s capabilities, and their involvement and monitoring are more strongly linked to good behaviors.36

39 POVERTY

40 BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

41 TEEN PREGNANCY

42 DEATH IN INFANCY


43 CHILD ABUSE

44 NEGLECT

04. fatherhood and men’s well-being

WHAT FATHERHOOD MEANS FOR MEN’S WELL-BEING Research shows that being a father is linked to a number of positive outcomes for men. Fathers experience better physical and mental health than men who do not have children and are more involved in their communities.

However, fathers often report being dissatisfied with how they are doing as a parent; this is particularly true for fathers who have children with multiple partners.

Employment outcomes ҋ Being a father is linked to positive employment outcomes including an increase in wages and work effort.45

ҋ For non-resident fathers, spending more time with children is linked to more working hours and higher annual wages.46

Involvement in Community Service ҋ Fathers are more likely than childless men to be involved in community service and to provide support to friends and extended family.47

Effects on Health ҋ Fathers tend to be healthier than men who do not have children, and some research suggests they may live longer.48

Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current Research

14

Despite these positive linkages, fathers are less likely than mothers to say they are doing a good job raising their kids.50

ҋ This is particularly true for fathers who have children with more than one partner.

ҋ These fathers are less likely to be satisfied with their performance as a parent than fathers who have children with only one partner.51

Fatherhood improves men’s mental and emotional health and their confidence.52

ҋ When fathers of preschool-aged children (ages 3 to 5) are more involved with their children, the fathers have lower rates of depression.53

ҋ Non-resident fathers who are highly involved with their children in early childhood (ages 1 to 3) experience lower rates of depression than their peers as their children get older.54

ҋ However, when their children are very young, involved non-resident fathers experience higher rates of depression, perhaps because of stress from the demands of child care and from staying involved after their romantic relationship dissolves.55

ҋ As children get older and become more verbal, independent, and capable of receiving emotional support and guidance, involved non-resident fathers may get more satisfaction and fulfillment from fatherhood.56

Fathers’ Confidence as Parents

ҋ Among older fathers who have children with more than one partner, 14 percent say they are doing a “bad job” parenting their nonresidential children.

ҋ This is true of only 2 percent of older fathers who have children with only one partner.49


05. limitations in the research

There are gaps in our understanding of fathers and fatherhood in the United States. The research field has not kept pace with the increasing diversity of U.S. fathers and families. Therefore, we generally have a poor understanding of fatherhood among diverse racial and ethnic populations. Specifically:

INSUFFICIENT DATA

There is insufficient demographic data on fathers in general. For example, research has documented some characteristics of fathers who live with their children, but very little information is available about what U.S. fathers as a whole look like and experience.

DIFFERENT POPULATIONS

There is a lack of research about fatherhood across different populations of fathers (e.g., fathers who are formerly incarcerated, immigrant fathers, resident versus non-resident fathers, and fathers who have children with multiple partners).57

RESEARCH IS NEEDED

More research is needed on the effects of fatherhood on men. For example, do men experience the benefits of fatherhood in terms of employment, health, and community involvement if they have one or more children with whom they are not in contact?


06. The Role of research in Fatherhood Programs

Father and Child Well-BeingA Scan of Current Research

17

The ultimate goal of fatherhood programs and practice is to improve the well-being of fathers and children. To do this, we must learn more about who fathers are, especially through research focused on diverse populations.

The field of fatherhood research is growing, in part because of federal initiatives, intervention, and evaluation work focusing on the importance of fathers and fatherhood. For example, the Administration for Children and Families funds rigorous research examining topics related to fatherhood (e.g., intimate partner violence in fatherhood populations and co-parenting among Responsible Fatherhood program participants). Promising evaluation of federally and non-federally funded fatherhood programs also is taking place.

The Helpful Resources section on the next page provides more information about these efforts.

Historically, fathers were left out of parenting research. Although they are now part of this conversation, they are still understudied.

Helpful Resources

ҋ The History of Research on Father Involvement, Michael Lamb https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J002v29n02_03

ҋ Misleading Assumptions in Fatherhood Research, Justin Dyer https://ifstudies.org/blog/misleading-assumptions-in-fatherhood-research

ҋ Ten Key Findings from Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives, Karin Martinson & Demetra Nightingale https://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/75391/report.pdf

ҋ Ongoing Research and Program Evaluation Efforts, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/es_fatherhood_ongoing_research_program_evaluation_efforts.pdf

ҋ Fatherhood Research and Practice Network http://www.frpn.org/evaluating-programs/our-research

endnotes

1. U.S. Census Bureau (2018). Fatherly figures: A snapshot of dads today. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/ visualizations/2018/comm/fathers-day.html 2. Monte, L. M. (2017a). Fertility research brief (Report No. P70BR-147). Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. 3. U.S. Census Bureau (2018). Fatherly figures: A snapshot of dads today. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/ visualizations/2018/comm/fathers-day.html 4. Monte, L. M. (2017a). 5. Guzzo, K. B., & Payne, K. (2014). Living arrangements of fathers and their children. NCFMR Family Profiles (Report No. FP-14-06). Bowling Green State University: National Center for Family & Marriage Research. Retrieved from http://www.bgsu.edu/ content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/FP/FP-14-06_live-arrange_father-child.pdf 6. Jones, J. & Mosher, W. (2013). Father’s involvement with their children: United States, 2006-2010. National health statistics reports (Report No. 71). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 7. Guzzo, K. B., & Payne, K. (2014). 8. Guzzo, K. B., & Payne, K. (2014). 9. National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. Living arrangements of fathers and children. NRFC Data Snapshots 2018. 10. U.S. Census Bureau (2016). America’s families and living arrangements. Table A3. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/ data/tables/2016/demo/families/cps-2016.html 11. Guzzo, K. B., & Payne, K. (2014). 12. Census Bureau. (2017). Facts for Features: Father’s Day: June 28, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/ newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff12-fathers-day.html 13. Livingston, G. (2018). The changing profile of unmarried parents. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http:// www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/04/25/the-changing-profile-of-unmarried-parents/ 14. Census Bureau. (2017). 15. Census Bureau. (2017). 16. National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. (2014). Data Stats. Retrieved from https://www.fatherhood.gov/content/ dad-stats. 17. Grall, T. (2016). Custodial mothers and fathers and their child support: 2013 (Report No. P60-255). Washington, DC. 18. Jones, J. & Mosher, W. (2013). 19. McClain, L. R. & DeMaris, A. (2011). A better deal for cohabiting fathers? Union status differences in father involvement (Working Paper Series, WP-11-03). National Center for Family & Marriage Research, Bowling Green State University. 20. Hohmann-Marriott, B. (2011). Coparenting and father involvement in married and unmarried coresident couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(1), 296-309. 21. Berger, L. M., Carlson, J., Bzostek, S., & Osborne, C. (2008). Parenting practices of resident fathers: The role of marital and biological ties. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70(3), 625-639. 22. Amato, Meyers, & Emery (2009). Changes in nonresident father-child contact from 1976 to 2002. Family Relations, 58(1), 41-53. 23. Jones, J. & Mosher, W. (2013). 24. Manlove, J., Logan, C., Ikramullah, E., & Holcombe, E. (2008). Factors associated with multiple-partner fertility among fathers. Bethesda, MD: Child Trends, Inc. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7e8c/ f181bb83013657e3f29a73735175e4d6c46e.pdf


https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J002v29n02_03https://ifstudies.org/blog/misleading-assumptions-in-fatherhood-researchhttps://aspe.hhs.gov/system/files/pdf/75391/report.pdfhttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/es_fatherhood_ongoing_research_program_evaluation_efforts.pdfhttp://www.frpn.org/evaluating-programs/our-researchhttps://www.census.gov/library/ visualizations/2018/comm/fathers-day.htmlhttps://www.census.gov/library/ visualizations/2018/comm/fathers-day.htmlhttp://www.bgsu.edu/ content/dam/BGSU/college-of-arts-and-sciences/NCFMR/documents/FP/FP-14-06_live-arrange_father-child.pdfhttps://www.census.gov/ data/tables/2016/demo/families/cps-2016.htmlhttps://www.census.gov/ newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff12-fathers-day.htmlhttp:// www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018/04/25/the-changing-profile-of-unmarried-parents/https://www.fatherhood.gov/content/dad-statshttps://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7e8c/ f181bb83013657e3f29a73735175e4d6c46e.pdf

25. Carlson, M. & Furstenberg, F. (2006). The prevalence and correlates of multipartnered fertility among urban U.S. parents. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(3), 718:732. 26. Carlson, M. & Furstenberg, F. (2006). 27. Population Reference Bureau (2011). U.S. parents who have children with more than one partner. Retrieved from https:// www.prb.org/multipartner-childbearing-policy-seminar/ 28. Tach, L., Mincy, R., & Edin, K. (2010). Parenting as a “package deal”: Relationships, fertility, and nonresident father involvement among unmarried parents. Demography, 47(1), 181-204. 29. Monte, L. M. (2017b). Multiple partner fertility research brief (Report No. P70BR-146). Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. 30. Monte, L. M. (2017b). 31. McLanahan, S., Tach, L., & Schneider, D. (2013). The causal effects of father absence. Annual Review of Sociology, 39, 399-427. 32. Webster, L., Low, J., Siller, C., & Hackett, R. K. (2013). Understanding the contribution of a father’s warmth on his child’s social skills. Fathering, 11(1), 90-113. 33. Buswell, L., Zabriskie, R. B., Lundberg, N., & Hawkins, A. J. (2012). The relationship between father involvement in family leisure and family function: The importance of daily family leisure. Leisure Sciences, 34(2), 172-190. 34. Goncy, E., & Van Dulmen, H. M. (2010). Fathers do make a difference: Parental involvement and adolescent alcohol use. Fathering, 8(1), 93-108. 35. Levine Coley, R. E., & Medeiros, B. L.. (2007). Reciprocal longitudinal relations between nonresident father involvement and adolescent delinquency. Child Development, 78(1), 132-147. 36. Jeynes, W. (2018). Acknowledging the unique role of fathers. Retrieved from https://ifstudies.org/blog/acknowledging-the-unique-role-of-fathers 37. McLanahan, S., Tach, L., & Schneider, D. (2013). The causal effects of father absence. Annual Review of Sociology, 39(1), 399-427. 38. Salas-Wright, C. P., Vaugh, M. G., Uglade, J., & Todic, J. (2015). Substance use and teen pregnancy in the United States: Evidence from the NSDUH 2002-2012. Addictive Behavior, 45(1), 218-225. 39. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). ASEP Issue Brief: Information on Poverty and Income Statistics. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/12/PovertyAndIncomeEst/ib.shtml 40. Osborne, C., & McLanahan, S. (2007). Partnership instability and child well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(4), 1065-1083. 41. Ellis, B. J., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Fergusson, D. M., John Horwood, L., Pettit, G. S., & Woodward, L. (2003). Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development, 74(3), 801-821. 42. Mathews, T. J., MacDorman, M. F., & Thoma, M. E. (2015). Infant mortality statistics from the 2013 period linked birth/ infant death data set. National Vital Statistics Reports, 64(9), 1-30. 43. Sedlak, A. J., Mettenburg, J., Basena, M., Petta, I., McPherson, K., Greene, A., & Li, S. (2010). Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Report to Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Retrieved from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/nis4_ report_congress_full_pdf_jan2010.pdf 44. Sedlak, A. J., Mettenburg, J., Basena, M., Petta, I., McPherson, K., Greene, A., & Li, S. (2010). 45. Astone, N. M., & Peters, H. E. (2014). Longitudinal influences on men’s lives: Research from the transition to fatherhood project and beyond. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice about Men as Fathers, 12(2), 161–173. 46. Carlson, M. J., & Turner, K. J. (2010). Fathers’ involvement and fathers’ well-being over children’s first five years. Working Papers 1257, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing. 47. Eggebeen, D., Dew, J., & Knoester, C. W. (2010). Fatherhood and men’s lives at middle age. Journal of Family Issues, 31(1), 113-130. 48. Bartlett, E. E. (2004). The effects of fatherhood on the health of men: A review of the literature. The Journal of Men’s Health & Gender, 1(2-3), 159-169. 49. Guzzo, K. B. (2014). New Partners, more kids: Multiple-partner fertility in the United States. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 6(54), 66-86. 50. Pew Research Center (2015) Parenting in America: Outlook, worries, aspirations are strongly linked to financial situation. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/17/parenting-in-america/ 51. Guzzo, K. B. (2014). 52. National Fatherhood Initiative (2015). How fatherhood affects men. Charlottesville, VA: Institute for Family Studies. Retrieved from https://ifstudies.org/blog/how-fatherhood-affects-men 53. Kotila, L., & Kamp Dush, C. (2013). Involvement with children and low-income fathers’ psychological well-being. Fathering, 11(3), 306-326. 54. Kotila, L., & Kamp Dush, C. (2013). 55. Summers, J. A., Boller, K., Schiffman, R., & Raikes, H. H. (2006). The meaning of “good fatherhood”: Low-income fathers’ social constructions of their roles. Parenting: Science & Practice, 6(1), 145-165. 56. Summers, J. A., Boller, K., Schiffman, R., & Raikes, H. H. (2006). 57. Osborne, C., Austin, J., Dion, M. R., Dyer, J., Fagan, J., Harris, K., et al. (2014). Framing the Future of Responsible Fatherhood Evaluation Research for the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network. Philadelphia, PA: Fatherhood Research and Practice Network.


https:// www.prb.org/multipartner-childbearing-policy-seminar/https://ifstudies.org/blog/acknowledging-the-unique-role-of-fathershttp://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/12/PovertyAndIncomeEst/ib.shtmlhttps://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/nis4_ report_congress_full_pdf_jan2010.pdfhttp://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/12/17/parenting-in-america/https://ifstudies.org/blog/how-fatherhood-affects-men

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Father and Child Well-Being A Scan of Current ResearchTable of contents01. introductionKEY Takeaways INCLUDE:

02. Characteristics of U.S. FathersLikelihood of living with minor children.Among single custodial fathers16% separated; 6% widowed; 38% never married; 40% divorcedResident FathersNon-Resident FathersResident vs. non-resident father involvement with their children 23Fathers who have children with more than one partner.

03. fatherhood and children’s well-beingWHAT FATHERHOOD MEANS FOR CHILDREN’S WELL-BEINGBETTER SOCIAL SKILLSCLOSER FAMILY TIESFEWER RISKY BEHAVIORSFEWER DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS

04. fatherhood and men’s well-beingWHAT FATHERHOOD MEANS FOR MEN’S WELL-BEINGEmployment outcomesInvolvement in Community ServiceEffects on HealthDespite these positive linkages, fathers are less likely than mothers to say they are doing a good job raising their kids.50Fatherhood improves men’s mental and emotional health and their confidence.52

Fathers’ Confidence as Parents

05. limitations in the researchINSUFFICIENT DATADIFFERENT POPULATIONSRESEARCH IS NEEDED

06. The Role of research in Fatherhood ProgramsHelpful ResourcesEndnotesNotesFathers IncorporatedNational Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

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